Departure from Vancouver Airport at the end of a cruise

[Elleinthecity]

Hi there! My family is doing the Alaska cruise on the Wonder in August. At the end of the trip we’re flying back to NYC. There aren’t great times to begin with, either early am or red eyes, and many are 1 stops. What is the earliest I should look to book a flight on departure morning, assuming we make a run for the dock as soon as we can? Not saying we’ll do that, but I’m trying to evaluate options. Thanks for all the guidance.

 

[Dug720]

Earliest flight departure DCL recommends is 12:00pm.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Your more than likely going to have to take the mid to late afternoon flight out of Vancouver. The ashore time is 8am, but that doesn't mean you be off the ship at that time. We are also on the east coast and flights heading back home for us; either left at 6am or 3pm. So our plan is to take the afternoon flight and just deal with getting back up late.

Psy

 

[TikiThunderPirates]

I think a lot of people will say 11:00am is a safe time, but I watched someone miss their 11:00am flight because of a bus issue after my cruise. Don't forget you have to go through customs BEFORE your flight when leaving Vancouver, so you need a little extra time for that. I'd take a 12:00pm or 1:00pm (or later) flight.

 

[JWelch62]

Global entry is available at the Vancouver Airport. You can save some time at customs if you have that. But I wouldn't book earlier than 12:00

 

[iloveeeyore]

We did Alaska out of Vancouver a few years ago and ended up staying in Vancouver on debarkation night and caught an early flight the next morning. The flight times returning to the east coast were awful...too early to play it safe or too late as to be a redeye, which we really didn't want. We stayed in a hotel near the airport with a free airport shuttle. There are worse things than spending a night in Vancouver! We could have used a car service to spend some time downtown, but we were exhausted and watched movies in the room. It was actually pretty great.

 

[kathi]

We ended up booking a 11:30 pm redeye back to Philly with one stop in Toronto.

 

[Elleinthecity]

We did Alaska out of Vancouver a few years ago and ended up staying in Vancouver on debarkation night and caught an early flight the next morning. The flight times returning to the east coast were awful...too early to play it safe or too late as to be a redeye, which we really didn't want. We stayed in a hotel near the airport with a free airport shuttle. There are worse things than spending a night in Vancouver! We could have used a car service to spend some time downtown, but we were exhausted and watched movies in the room. It was actually pretty great.

The flight times really are awful, aren't they! I Think we're going to do 5pm going through San Francisco. With Amex points, it's cheap and upgradable at last. Thanks for weighing in.

 

[Elleinthecity]

Global entry is available at the Vancouver Airport. You can save some time at customs if you have that. But I wouldn't book earlier than 12:00

I have to renew my son's passport, and that will be the next step for him!

 

[lovingeire]

I just want to say that misery loves company and the flights from Vancouver back to the East Coast are horrible. We looked at flying to/from Philly, Baltimore, and even New York, and all the times are bad! We need to pull the trigger soon on our return flight (stupidly bought one way on the way there when Amtrak was available, but that doesn't seem to be happening, so straight back home we'll go..)

I have been debating Global Entry. It looks like it would work for us in both Vancouver and Baltimore, where we're flying out of. But honestly, Baltimore seems to have the most efficient security I've ever seen! Trying to decide if it's worth it, but we will have early flights both times.

 

[JWelch62]

I have to renew my son's passport, and that will be the next step for him!

No guarantees, but customs let my whole family through with my global entry. That shouldn't be the case, but you never know

 

[LiZaArd]

Another East Coast’er here. Our options into Newark were something like 8 am or 11 pm with United. Red eye it is. Grumble grumble…

 

[ladyofthetramp]

East Coaster-Boston. Pre-pandemic. Flights either were too early or red eye. We spent the extra day and Vancouver, stayed at the Fairmont at the airport. Scored a non-stop Air Canada leaving the next day at 9am, which got us into Boston by 5pm. We really lucked out.

 

[kathi]

I have been debating Global Entry. It looks like it would work for us in both Vancouver and Baltimore, where we're flying out of. But honestly, Baltimore seems to have the most efficient security I've ever seen! Trying to decide if it's worth it, but we will have early flights both times.

We signed our daughter up for Global Entry last October. We heard back maybe 3 weeks ago, cannot get an appointment for her to go in for the required screening AT ALL (over the next 2 years) for any airport within 4 hours driving for us. So it's going to be totally worthless for our summer cruise.

 

[JWelch62]

I have been debating Global Entry. It looks like it would work for us in both Vancouver and Baltimore, where we're flying out of. But honestly, Baltimore seems to have the most efficient security I've ever seen! Trying to decide if it's worth it, but we will have early flights both times.

GE is really only beneficial as US ports of entry. And then, not all all, just some. For domestic airports it really is the same as TSA Pre (you get a KTN with GE). I live close to the MX border and crossed a few times per year before Covid, so for me it was worth getting.

If you cruise a lot it may also be beneficial.

 

[Drfate102]

We have our flights booked and we get to go from Vancouver to LA and then from LA to Tampa. Going to be a long night.

 

[CM Dad]

Do you need to allow extra time to get COVID testing before flights back to the US? I still need to book travel for our Hawaii to Vancouver cruise

 

[mmouse37]

Do you need to allow extra time to get COVID testing before flights back to the US? I still need to book travel for our Hawaii to Vancouver cruise

Currently, yes.....Canada has dropped its arrival testing for tourists but the US as of today has not. Airlines and the rest of the travel industry are pushing for it as it inhibits International travel so hopefully the US will drop the testing requirement soon.

I am on the East Coast also and for our Hawaii to Vancouver return flight we opted to fly Air Canada direct into EWR on the day after we arrive in Canada. Didn't want to chance not making a flight the day we debark.

MJ